November 24, 2017

CCPPP Statement on the Launch of Canada’s Smart Cities Challenge

The Canadian Council for Public-Private Partnerships (CCPPP) enthusiastically salutes the Government of Canada’s Smart Cities Challenge. This is an exciting initiative that will allow Canadian communities to take a global leadership role in this first digital century.

In the parlance of the new millennium, the Smart City Challenge encourages cities, towns and Indigenous communities to disrupt themselves. It gives them permission and incentive to break out of the “we’ve always done it this way” trap.

“CCPPP has been a long-time supporter and promoter of the Smart Cities Challenge,” says Mark Romoff, CCPPP President and CEO. “This is great opportunity to put Canadian ingenuity and resourcefulness on display to create communities that are safer, healthier, more accessible and economically vibrant. We congratulate the government for promoting and accelerating ‘big think’ ideas.”

This program has transformative potential that goes well beyond binary code connections among infrastructure and service delivery. The goal is to improve the lives of Canadians “through innovation, data and connected technology.”

The government will award up to $75 million in prizes to the winning communities, but could easily initiate hundreds of millions of dollars in inventive, visionary approaches to community and urban design.

Best of all, this program challenges conventional thinking. The innate innovative spirit of Smart Cities will require new and disruptive thinking. It will necessitate new eyes and bold ideas.

We’re confident the P3 industry will play an important role as the Smart City plans unfold. The model lends itself to the development of the new, innovative, high tech design that will connect infrastructure and services that provide Canadians the best value for their money.